


(Don't) Take It Slow

by PinkGold



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Academia, Established Spones, Fluff, Jim is a big ol nerd, Leonard finds him adorable, Love at First Sight, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Spock is happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25784653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PinkGold/pseuds/PinkGold
Summary: TOS Academy Era, our boys are young, dumb and in love.“I think he’s into us.” Leonard said, tilting his head to the side and waiting for Spock’s answer.“I wouldn’t object. Heisappealing.”“Attractive, Spock, you mean attractive.” Leonard corrected with a roll of his eyes and an eager smile, nodding in agreement with his partner. “And cute.”
Relationships: James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock, Leonard "Bones" McCoy/Spock
Comments: 10
Kudos: 144





	(Don't) Take It Slow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sobre_again](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sobre_again/gifts).



> This fic is for you, Sobre. You do so much for us mere humans by giving us thousands of fanarts, this is for you and your hard work. <3 love love. (also, i hope i managed to give you what you wanted.) I might have projected a little cause, damn, I miss my lab courses. Writing this made my heart squeeze miserably.
> 
> @weresilver and @palutunau, thanks for helping me betaing this into something readable hahah (thanks reaps,, you calmed the shit out of me yesterday <3)
> 
> With that all being said, I hope you guys enjoy reading as much as I did writing it!! Have fun!

James Kirk could barely hold back the excitement from his steps as he left from his first day at the Starfleet Academy. It went great. More than great, actually. It was fantastic, everything he thought it would be and more.

So much more.

If he didn’t stop smiling anytime soon, tomorrow his cheeks would be sore. But he still hadn’t found a way to calm down, not from this high. His classmates seemed as thrilled to finally start as he was, that Hikaru Sulu in particular, his enthusiasm rivaled Jim’s own. The lectures had been interesting enough, James only drifted off once, and even though he was slightly out of shape (not that he felt a particular need to get _in_ shape) he managed to follow through the entire mandatory workout.

Really, it was all James had wished for for twenty years. He deserved a treat!

-

It was only the first day back at the Academy and Leonard McCoy was already bone-tired. So many different anatomies to memorize, too many xeno diseases to remember, not to mention the amount of papers and books he had to read. And to top it all off, the gym classes he’d been postponing since last year.

He knew his third semester in Starfleet Academy wasn’t going to go easy on him.

Leonard tried to shake his tension off as he walked through the medical department halls and into the science division. They were interconnected by a bridge between buildings, which was more than you could say to the other divisions scattered around the rest of the campus. Most researchers had gone back to their quarters as the evening came to an end, but the lights were still on inside the lab he was making his way towards.

“Spock, I don’t know if you noticed, but it's time to go,” he said as a greeting to the hunched vulcan over the microscope. Spock didn’t move a muscle, but then, Leonard wasn’t expecting him to.

“Not now, Leonard, I am occupied.” He said, not looking up. But as Leonard approached, he lifted his fingers and waited patiently for Leonard to return the act. With a fond smile on his face, Leonard did it, enjoying feeling the warmth that exuded from Spock’s long fingers as they shared a vulcan kiss.

Leonard stepped closer and scanned the notes on Spock’s PADD over his shoulders. “How’re your proteins faring today?”

“They cannot ‘fare’ as they are no more than arranged amino acids,” Spock explained, shifting his gaze to watch Leonard sideways, “yet there has been progress with their stability on the alien liquid.”

Leonard hummed and dropped his chin on Spock’s lean shoulder, frowning and catching the noted changes from the experiment last week. He’d been cranky at the time when Spock dragged him to the Academy grounds just a week before the semester started, but he understood the need to work extra time when an experiment asked for it.

And the experiment was interesting, plus he loved watching Spock work.

“That’s good work, Spock.” he praised softly, really impressed by Spock’s progress. “When do you think you’ll be done?”

“Approximately ten minutes and thirty-three seconds. I found a fascinating anomaly in one of the molecules and I need to analyze it further. I was halfway through when you arrived.”

Leonard nodded and kissed Spock’s cheek before sitting on the stool next to him, pulling his own PADD to read some of the papers he had been dreading. Before he knew it, Spock was gently touching him on the shoulder, silently telling him he was done. Leonard wouldn’t have imagined he would get so focused on the paper to forget to check the time, but that worked out for him just fine. The less he anguished over these papers, the faster he’d be able to read them.

He sometimes asked himself why he’d chosen such a hard path for himself. He shook his head and slid the PADD into his bag, badly smothering a yawn before it could slip his lips.

“Are you tired?” Spock asked, and of course his sharp eyes noticed that. If the bags under his eyes weren’t giving him away, the yawn sure did.

“No, I’m fine.” And Leonard was, the thing was that he had to wake up extra early that morning for a surprise surgery simulation that had him and Christine flying out of their rooms still on their pajamas. At least he had had his friend with him to complain later.

“Are you sure? We can leave our date for a more preferable-”

“No, don’t you dare, Spock,” he cut his lover off mid-sentence, “I’ve been waiting for today for far too long for us to change it now.”

Spock raised a single eyebrow but nodded, probably figuring that the most logical answer to that would be to drop it. Leonard huffed and relaxed getting in the right mood for a night out with Spock. It had been too long since they had had a moment just the two of them. Spock had traveled back to Vulcan to spend the summer vacations with his family and only came back a week ago, which he had filled it with getting settled back to Earth’s conditions and getting ready for the new semester.

Of course, Leonard spent the first two nights with him, his ‘welcome back’ party Leonard had planned, and it had been an amazing time, as always. But there hadn’t been time for a proper date, and Leonard’s southern gentlemanners were making him antsy the longer they didn’t go out.

As they made their way out the labs and into the crisp evening air of San Francisco, Spock linked his hand with Leonard’s, securing their fingers together. Leonard’s heart squeezed softly at the motion. It wasn’t always that Spock initiated physical contact, and those times were mostly left for the confines of their rooms, but they were always welcomed warmly by Leonard.

 _Missed you,_ Leonard sensed coming from their mental bond, and he squeezed their hands, trying to project the same feelings for Spock.

“So tell me about the anomaly you found.”

-

James almost let out an excited shriek when he finally found the antiques store he’d been searching for ever since leaving the Academy grounds. The navigation system on his PADD was sound, and he never had any problems with maps before, but it was a long walk, which he expected, but was tiring nonetheless.

The late evening was chilly enough that he didn’t sweat as he made his way around the busy roads, and the scenery of a big city was a pleasant change from his tiny home town. He hummed under his breath and let his mind wander about before the open mall came into view. It was a cozy, small place, but it was well aired, with a brick-covered building delimiting the plaza.

It was beautiful, but he’d have to take a better look _after_ he checked the store he came here for.

“Welcome,” a man said from behind the counter. He was slouched on his chair, reading a physical book and looking completely unimpressed at James barely hidden excited face.

“Hi.” James waved tightly, holding himself back. His eyes were shifting from the man to the book in front of him. It wasn’t always you saw someone reading the hard copies. “Do you mind if I look around?”

The man shrugged and went back to his reading. James took that as a yes and looked down at the aisles, barely hiding a smile. The shelves didn’t seem to have any kind of organization whatsoever, as small objects were thrown together with bigger, mismatched ones. Everywhere he looked his vision was swarmed by all kinds of objects he didn’t think he could name, most which looked useless nowadays, but still beautiful to look at.

But James wanted one thing specially, one he’d read that this store had. He quickly made his way to the back where books and magazines were normally stocked and found it. He gasped as his eyes shone, finally face to face with what he had been waiting for ever since he knew about its existence.

_Comics._

There was only a box full. Not much, but more than he ever seen. They looked readable still, probably a newer print of the old stories. He browsed through them, catching the quirks and details of every cover before moving to the next one.

One specific caught his attention more than the others. _Midnighter and Apollo_ was its name, and he knew that he was leaving the store with that copy. 

James ended up buying not only the comic but also what the vendor called a pool floater in the form of a cloud with a rainbow on top. He had no idea how that worked, but he was thrilled to follow the instructions to build it.

It was almost completely dark when he left the store, only a few sun rays painted the sky a lighter color. James’ stomach grumbled, reminding him about the last time he ate with a wince, and as if on cue, he caught a sniff of something which smelled like baked bread. He followed his nose into a petite restaurant, maybe too luxurious for someone still dressed in a Starfleet Academy uniform, but he let go of that uncomfortable thought when he spot a single person table on the left corner near a window, which would be perfect to sit down, forget about his surroundings and get right into reading his comic.

He cringed internally as he checked the price on the food after he made himself comfortable on the chair. Really too expensive for him. James scrolled down the menu, almost giving up and leaving before he found a few sandwiches that were perfectly on his price range.

James ordered one, feeling pretty good despite spending so much money, and he didn’t waste more time before getting his new purchase out of his satchel, bringing it close to his face to take a quick furtive sniff of that unmistakable old book smell. It wasn’t a bad smell, but it was odd nonetheless, even if he liked it.

He’d only been in contact with a couple of books before, in his grandma’s house, long ago, and seen some hard copies in libraries, although they weren’t usually loaned to the public, only their digital versions. But to own one, that was an exhilarating thought.

The next few minutes were spent enjoying the lines and graphics from his comic, feeling the paper between his fingers as he turned the pages gently, fear of tearing up the delicate material very real in his mind.

A beautiful laugh cut through his concentration then, and he frowned, trying to find the owner of that sweet voice. His eyes fell on a young man sitting only a few tables away, he had a short brown hair, soft, James could tell even from afar. His eyes were closed as he tried to calm down from the high, but by the happy marks on the sides of his eyes James knew they would be kind. There was a vulcan sitting in front of him, looking pleased enough with himself for making the man laugh, his cheeks were flushed green with contentment.

As the man managed to control himself, his hand fell softly on top of the vulcan’s, and James couldn’t stop staring. They looked perfect together, at ease, and there was a good chemistry surrounding them, calm and natural. Very addictive.

James smothered a painful pang before it completely echoed all over him. He couldn’t tell what made him feel so lonely looking at that particular couple. He’d met so many before, was friends with a few, yet that feeling of loneliness never felt unbearable.

Until now.

The man stroked his thumb over the vulcan’s knuckles absentmindedly, talking happily about one thing or another without seeming to notice his surroundings. It was soft, made James wish he also had someone to do that to him. To look at him like the vulcan looked at the brunet with gentle, serious eyes, or to smile at him sweetly, even if tiredly, as the man did. Or maybe James wished _they_ would turn those looks at him.

His eyes widened. _Shit._ Was he developing a wild crush on a couple he barely just glanced? Once?

Well, they weren’t _bad_ looking and… that was not the point. James groaned and hid the embarrassing flush rising on his cheeks behind his hands. Gosh, what he would give to disappear right now. Maybe if he didn’t draw too much attention to himself, the couple wouldn’t notice his turmoil and he could leave before they notice him being awkward in the corner-

“Here’s your sandwich, hon.” the waiter said, startling James back to reality. He laid James’ plate down in front of him together with a glass of water and left with James’ sad excuse of a thanks.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and when James looked, he found himself pinned down to his chair by two sets of intense eyes. The man and the vulcan were staring right at him, their faces hard to read. 

James whimpered, heart beating faster now that he got caught staring, and did the first thing his brain suggested: hid behind the open comic. Smooth.

-

Spock saw Leonard was barely holding back a snort. He couldn’t scold him because the scene had been indeed amusing.

“Not amusing, Spock, adorable.” Leonard corrected and squeezed their hands without looking away from where the man was now hiding behind what seemed to be an antique magazine that read ‘Midnighter and Apollo’.

Spock raised a single eyebrow, intrigued that he let some of his thoughts pass through their mental bond in response to the man’s sudden reaction. If Leonard found it strange, since they were commonly more reserved with their emotions, he did not comment.

He turned his gaze back to the man in question. His blond hair the only thing visible from his hideout, aside from his arms holding the magazine in place. They were covered in Starfleet’s commander trainee uniform.

“I think Apollo over there is a first year,” Leonard mumbled, easily following Spock’s train of thought.

“It appears so. I do not remember seeing him on campus before.”

“Do you think we-” whatever Leonard was about to ask was cut short as the man shifted again. He had lifted his head up, eyes scanning nervously the restaurant, likely checking if anyone was aware of his unusual behavior before his gaze fell on them again.

Spock counted approximately four seconds before Apollo’s (as Leonard called him) heavy blush grew stronger and he slipped back down behind the magazine. Leonard snickered and turned back to Spock, eyes filled with playfulness and a spark of flirtation Spock remembered Leonard having the first time they met.

He only had to lift his eyebrows for Leonard to shake his head and answer.

“I winked.”

As he studied his partner’s reaction to his own stunt, Spock silently questioned who was truly the adorable one in this particular situation. He shook his head almost imperceptibly and took a sip of his iced tea, enjoying this moment excessively.

“I think he’s into us.” Leonard said, tilting his head to the side and waiting for Spock’s answer.

“That does seem to be the case.” Spock agreed with a single nod of his head.

“What do you think?” _Should we pursue it?_ was the real meaning behind Leonard’s question, one Spock had heard before, but never as enthusiastic.

They had shared their interests in other people before, it was an act of trust, the first step towards a healthy mental bond, which they had achieved months prior. Their stability as a couple did not shake with insecurity, and Spock didn’t believe it would.

So Spock answered truthfully, lacking shame and embarrassment as he spoke. 

“I wouldn’t object. He _is_ appealing.”

“Attractive, Spock, you mean attractive.” Leonard corrected with a roll of his eyes and an eager smile, nodding in agreement with his partner. “And cute.”

Their bond hummed happily through their linked hands, and Spock leaned forward to drop his elbow on the table contently and let a small smile break his serious features. Leonard caught it and his expression brightened as it always did when Spock expressed outwardly how he felt.

“We would need a plan of action.” Spock said.

Leonard jerked his chin up and hunched forward, listening completely. 

“What do you suggest?”

“Well-” Spock was just about to propose an idea when he was cut by the deafening sound of a chair scraping against the wooden floor. Apollo rose abruptly, face set as he walked with his eyes fixed to the ground towards the front.

Spock and Leonard watched, both with different levels of shock, as he paid and left. His blush was still strong in his face as he walked through the door, nearly crushing himself against the glass before it opened.

“There goes our plan.” Leonard mumbled, sitting back on his chair in defeat.

“Has anyone seen the direction that man in Starfleet Uniform went?” the man behind the counter asked with worry, “He forgot his wallet.”

Spock’s eyebrows shot up. Fascinating.

“I do not think it is a lost cause yet, Leonard.”

-

James Tiberius Kirk. Apollo’s real name.

Leonard hummed and put James’ ID back in the wallet. He was probably looking for it non stop by now. Last night, Spock and himself managed to convince the restaurant employee that they’d take the wallet to its owner, showing their own Academy ID to prove themselves, and quickly left after that.

Now Leonard was pacing the astrophysics halls anxiously as he waited for Spock to finish his first lecture of the day, hoping James Kirk wouldn’t reject them on spot. Yes, Spock had reassured Leonard that he was almost completely sure the man’s reaction yesterday meant he was, in fact, attracted to them, but _almost_ wasn’t an absolute truth, and the universe usually hated Leonard for no apparent reason, so it could most probably override Spock’s logical thoughts, which _meant,_ a rejection wasn’t a possibility they could ignore.

He sighed and leaned head first against the cold walls of the corridor, calming himself. There was no reason to get nervous about something that didn’t happen yet. 

“Is there something bothering you, Leonard?” Spock’s sudden inquiry made him jump out of his skin. He didn’t hear the vulcan approaching, as usual, but it seemed today he was oversensitive.

“N-no, we’re good to go.” he answered with a small shaky smile.

Spock watched him for a couple of seconds, raising his left eyebrow sharply yet refrained from commenting. He merely nodded and offered Leonard two long fingers that Leonard didn’t hesitate to kiss with his own in greeting.

“Have you learned about James’ whereabouts?” Spock asked as he let his arm fall back to his sides.

“Yes,” Leonard nodded and took a deep breath, feeling less nervous now that Spock was by his side. “Follow me.”

They walked all the way to the other side of the campus to the training halls, where Kirk was now having his obligatory hours at the gym. They spotted him almost instantly, stretching on a mat with four others, looking worn out and glistening with sweat. His hair was pushed back away from his face as he stretched forward towards his toes, and _God,_ was he flexible.

His round cheeks were again flushed red, this time with exertion, Leonard noted casually. Or it was, until he saw them standing near the open doors. His eyes widened almost comically and his cheeks grew redder. So. Adorable.

Before he could turn his face away and avoid them like he did yesterday, Leonard waved and motioned him to join them, which he did after a moment of hesitation. Leonard quickly stole a glance towards Spock and got a reassuring nod in return, calming his nerves further as Kirk came closer.

“Uh, hi.” Kirk greeted. He looked nervous as well, gripping the towel behind his neck.

“James Kirk, correct?” Spock asked, hands behind his back and looking as calm as he was. Damn him.

“Yes, that’s… me.” he answered, frowning before adding, “Just James’s fine, or Jim.” he shrugged and grimaced at his own awkwardness. Not that Leonard minded, he thought with a smile, it was endearing to watch.

“I’m Leonard, pleasure to meet you.” he drawled and offered his hand, which James shook still slightly confused. “This is Spock.” and Spock nodded in acknowledgement.

“How… how’d find me?” James asked, tilting his head to the side, looking too much like an overgrown puppy, in Leonard’s opinion.

He grabbed the wallet from his pocket and gave it to the blond. “You forgot it in the restaurant yesterday.”

“Ah.” James' mouth fell shut as he looked at the wallet, stunned. He probably didn’t notice it was missing then. Leonard snorted.

“Since we also attend the Academy, we concluded it would be most beneficial to bring it to you ourselves.” Spock explained logically, yet Leonard didn’t miss the spark of mischief on his eyes. Vulcans don’t lie, but they sure can tell half truths.

“T-thanks, that’s most kind of you.” James managed a smile, clutching the wallet between his hands.

“So, you’re a first year, yes?” Leonard changed subjects like someone who was mildly curious, which was far from the truth, but they’d get there soon enough. James nodded mutely. “Has anyone shown you around already?” a head shake. Leonard's smile grew more genuine, showing a little of his nerves. “Well, we wouldn’t mind giving you a tour, if you want.”

Spock encouraged him through their bond, giving him an extra layer of bravery to stand there and wait for James’ answer.

“I…” James’ mouth fell open, making no sound even as he nodded. He caught himself, cleared his throat and looked down embarrassed. “I’d love that, yes.”

“Then the date is set.” Spock noted with the faintest smile in place. The word ‘date’ seemed to stun James as he tensed expectantly and looked from Spock to Leonard, trying to find an answer to his silent questioning.

“Does lunch break work for you? ‘Cause it does for us.” Leonard relaxed his shoulders and tried to throw just the right amount of flirtation in his voice, just to make sure James understood them.

James nodded, gulped and smiled. “It’s perfect for me too.”

“Cadet Kirk, quit lazing around and finish your exercises!” a voice echoed through the gym and James flinched, giving them an apologetic look and promising to meet up with them at noon in the dining hall.

They watched him go, both thrilled with the way things turned out.

“God, I wish it was break already.” Leonard moaned as they started walking away from the doors.

“That is an absurd thing to wish for,” Spock said matter of factly, “yet, I do agree it would be more preferable than my next lessons.”

Leonard snorted and shook his head fondly. The next few hours would be tortuous, he agreed, but he hoped it’d be worth it.

**Author's Note:**

> What you think?? Comments and Kudos are always welcomed.  
> You can find me on tumblr on @sparkly-angell, if you want to scream at me. <3


End file.
